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Tandoori Chicken
Served with cabbage and spiced rice
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Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 55 minutes |
- 1 green or Savoy cabbage
- 3-inch piece fresh ginger
- 2 lemons
- 8 skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 cups yogurt (we like Greek)
- 2 cups basmati rice
Shopping List
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon stick
- Cloves
- Garlic
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Garam masala or curry powder
- Sea salt
- Turmeric
- Unsalted butter
Pantry Items
- 9X13 baking dish
- Chef’s knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Beer: Brooklyn East India Pale Ale will work wonderfully. This India Pale Ale shows a nice balance between a warm bready malt center, and a fruity, lemongrassy hop character. While some beers might be overwhelmed by the complex flavors of the dish, this beer will play along in perfect harmony.
- Dessert: Lemon or Lime sorbet
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Don’t refrigerate the chicken
- Do refrigerate the beer
- Preheat the oven to 475F
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Prep
- Peel the ginger. Mince half of it and cut the other half into thin coins.
- Peel and mince 3 cloves garlic.
- Put the yogurt in the baking dish. Squeeze the juice from one of the lemons through your fingers into the yogurt. Whisk in the minced ginger and garlic, 1 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. garam masala or curry powder and 1-1/2 tsps. turmeric.
- Add the chicken to the yogurt marinade and stir so it is completely coated, let it sit at room temperature.
- Cut the remaining lemon into quarters and put them in a bowl for the table.
- Put 2 cups of rice into a strainer and rinse it really, really well under cold water.
- Start Cooking
- Put the chicken in the oven. It will take 25-35 minutes to cook.
- Put the rice in the medium saucepan with 4 cups water, ½ tsp. salt, the coins of ginger, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 whole cloves. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let it boil until there are bubble holes in the top of the rice, about 10 minutes.
- Put 3 cups water in the bottom of a steamer. Set the steamer over medium heat.
- While the chicken and rice are cooking, cut the cabbage into quarters and cut out the core. Thinly slice the cabbage.
- Check the rice for bubble holes. As soon as you see them, turn the heat to low, cover the rice, and cook it for another 10 minutes.
- Cut 2 tbsps. butter into small chunks and put them in the bottom of a serving bowl, for the cabbage.
- You’ve got time to set the table now.
- If the rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, turn off the heat under it and forget about it. Don’t even peek – the rice needs to plump undisturbed.
- Check the chicken and turn it.
- About 8 minutes before the chicken is cooked, put the cabbage in the steamer. Steam it until it is bright green and tender, which will take 5 -8 minutes.
- When the chicken has cooked for 25 minutes, check a piece to see if it is cooked through. Just pierce one of the pieces in the thickest part. If the juices are pink, it needs to cook more. If they’re golden, it’s cooked. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and take it to the table. If you’ve got a sprig of parsley, use it to garnish the chicken. (Don’t forget a hot pad for the table).
- Put the cooked cabbage in the bowl with the butter and toss it until the butter is mixed throughout the cabbage. Season with salt and pepper, toss it again, and take it to the table along with the rice and the lemons.
- Don’t forget the beer!
